Kankakee holds off Michigan State recruit McCall, Thornridge

None of Kankakee's running backs can put on the kind of show Mika'il McCall treated fans in Dolton to Saturday afternoon.

Together, however, they overcame his performance.

The Kays' offensive line sprung six rushers for a combined for 297 yards and a three-touchdown lead as Kankakee survived a 226-yard showing by McCall to upset host Thornridge 28-26.

Calvin Phillips led the way for the Kays with 116 yards on 17 carries. Four backs found the end zone and Kankakee (1-1) did not resemble the team that was beaten 42-12 by Bradley-Bourbonnais a week earlier.

"We were embarrassed last week," said quarterback Marcus Pope, whose two-point conversion run early in the third quarter proved to be the winning points. "We knew we had to work harder in practice and focus more to win this game."

The Michigan State-bound McCall nearly brought Thornridge (1-1) back from a 28-6 deficit. His 45-yard touchdown run made it 28-13 with nine minutes left in the third quarter and served as a precursor to the new lead play on his highlight tape.

His quick feet got him to the second level, where he used a fierce open-field stiff arm to throw a defender to the ground. Nobody dared get within reach again on a 56-yard run that cut Kankakee's lead to nine late in the third.

"He was tough," Phillips said. "That stiff arm … he can play."

Thornridge scored again on Derrick Martin's second touchdown pass to Gary Ford to make it 28-26 with 5 minutes, 12 seconds left . But the Falcons did not get their hands on it again, unable to stop Pope on fourth-and-1 from the Kankakee 31 with 3:15 showing.